federal health reform

TribuneFest: Is Cost Containment Possible?

By Evan Smith May 6, 2013

At the Trib's April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. David Warner of the LBJ School of Public Affairs talked about the escalating cost of health care with Michelle Berger, president of the Travis County Medical Society; Jesus Garza, president and CEO of the Seton Healthcare Family; Dan McCoy, chief medical officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas; and Tom Suehs, former executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services. Full Story
Public, Private Hospitals to Negotiate Financing With Dewhurst

By Emily Ramshaw May 2, 2013

UPDATED: Officials from more than a dozen hospital systems will gather at the Capitol with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on Friday to try to iron out a solution to how they are reimbursed for uncompensated care. Full Story
TribuneFest: Texas and the Affordable Care Act

By Evan Smith May 1, 2013

At the Trib's April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, Becca Aaronson talked about federal health reform with state Rep. Greg Bonnen, R-Friendswood, John Davidson of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Anne Dunkelberg of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and former deputy comptroller Billy Hamilton. Full Story
TribuneFest: A Conversation With Kyle Janek

By Evan Smith April 30, 2013

At the Trib's April 25 symposium on health care at the University of Texas at Austin, I talked with Kyle Janek, the executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services, about the prospects for leveraging federal dollars to reduce the number of uninsured Texans. Full Story
Hot Seat: A Conversation With Farney and Schwertner

By Evan Smith April 27, 2013

At our 4/26 Hot Seat conversation at Southwestern University in Georgetown, state Rep. Marsha Farney, R-Georgetown, and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, talked about public education, water, the budget and other issues in play in the 83rd session. Full Story
Business Association Endorses Zerwas' Medicaid Plan

By Becca Aaronson April 26, 2013

The Texas Association of Businesses — a heavyweight in conservative lobbying circles — has endorsed state Rep. John Zerwas’ proposal to negotiate with the federal government to find a palatable way to expand health insurance coverage. Full Story

Credit: Illustration by Marjorie Cotera
Janek Awaits Direction From Lege on Medicaid Expansion

By Becca Aaronson April 25, 2013

Texas’ executive health commissioner, Kyle Janek, said Thursday that negotiations between the federal government and the Health and Human Services Commission on whether to expand Medicaid are at a standstill because he's waiting on the Legislature. Full Story

Credit: Tamir Kalifa
House Panel Advances Zerwas' Medicaid Proposal

By Becca Aaronson April 23, 2013

Despite opposition from conservative Republicans, the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday advanced a proposal that would reform Medicaid by allowing the state to request a block grant from the federal government and expand coverage to low-income Texans. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Zerwas Proposes Alternative to Medicaid Expansion

By Becca Aaronson April 16, 2013

Amid hours of testimony from advocates in support of Medicaid expansion on Tuesday, state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Simonton, described his proposal for an alternative program to provide health coverage for the poor and uninsured. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
House Panel Debates Medicaid Expansion Proposal

By Becca Aaronson April 16, 2013

Despite Gov. Rick Perry remaining strongly opposed to expanding Medicaid, a House panel on Tuesday considered legislation that would expand coverage to poor adults under the Affordable Care Act. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Report: 2.6 Million Texans Could Get Health Insurance Subsidy

By Becca Aaronson April 11, 2013

Nearly 2.6 million Texans could qualify for tax credits to purchase health insurance in 2014, according to a report released Thursday by a nonprofit advocacy group. Full Story

Credit: Jeff Heimsath
The Medicaid Expansion Merry-Go-Round

By Becca Aaronson April 8, 2013

Republican legislators who want to use federal Medicaid expansion dollars are struggling to find common ground between the Perry administration in Texas and the Obama administration in Washington. But they're trying. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Reluctance to Expansion of Health Care in Texas Has a Familiar Ring

By Ross Ramsey April 5, 2013

If the state government's resistance to expanding Medicaid sounds familiar, it's because something like this happened when George W. Bush was governor, and conservatives were wary of the Children's Health Insurance Program. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
House Backtracks on Medicaid Amendment

By Becca Aaronson April 4, 2013

UPDATED: Hours after quietly approving a budget amendment on Thursday that would have opened the door to negotiations on expanding Medicaid, the House reconsidered the measure, prompting the author to withdraw it. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
Zerwas: House Medicaid Reform Bill Will Incorporate Williams' Plan

By Emily Ramshaw and Becca Aaronson April 3, 2013

UPDATED: Rep. John Zerwas confirmed Wednesday that he will incorporate into his own Medicaid reform bill a proposal by Sen. Tommy Williams to use premium tax revenue to subsidize private health policies for the uninsured. Full Story

Credit: Marjorie K Cotera
Leaders Make Case For, Against Expanding Medicaid Under ACA

By Emily Ramshaw April 1, 2013

The Texas rhetoric around a key tenet of federal health reform reached a high-water mark on Monday, with back-to-back press conferences at the Capitol featuring political leaders on both sides of the aisle. Full Story

Credit: Bob Daemmrich
Guest Column: Expanding Medicaid Would Weaken It

By John Cornyn April 1, 2013

Expanding Medicaid in Texas would weaken it, and weakening Medicaid would be a disservice to the Texans who now depend on it. Full Story

Credit: Gage Skidmore
Key State Leaders to Descend on Capitol for Medicaid Events

By Emily Ramshaw March 29, 2013

UPDATED: U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, and his twin, San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, will hold their own event at the Capitol on Monday to promote the Medicaid expansion provision of federal health reform. Full Story
Video: Amid Medicaid Expansion Debate, Kolkhorst's Health Care Math

By Emily Ramshaw March 29, 2013

State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst, the Republican chairwoman of the House Public Health Committee, gives a whiteboard math lesson in this video posted by Gov. Rick Perry's office. Full Story
TPPF Presents Plan to Reform Medicaid With Block Grant

By Becca Aaronson March 20, 2013

The Texas Public Policy Foundation released a report on Wednesday detailing how Texas could use a block grant from the federal government to cut costs and fundamentally reform Medicaid. Full Story

Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman